Digital Commons Network^™

Early Bronze Age Remains In The Southern Part Of Tel Bet Yeraḥ, Amir Golani

'Atiqot

Five strata were exposed during a salvage excavation near the southwestern fringes of Tel Bet Yeraḥ: late EB I (Stratum V), EB II (Stratum IV) and EB III (Strata III–I). The direct superposition of the strata suggests a minimal time interval between the occupations and a nearly continuous habitation. The architectural remains attest that this area was domestic in nature, a conclusion further supported by the small finds, which include a large quantity of holemouth vessels, probably used as cooking pots, fauna, flint, ground stones and mollusks. This part of the site appears to have been finally abandoned in EB …

Late Chalcolithic And Early Bronze Age Ia Settlement Remains At Kafr Kanna, Lower Galilee, Edwin C.M. Van Den Brink, Valentine Roux, Anastasia Shapiro, Maayan Shemer

'Atiqot

Four strata were distinguished at the site: Stratum 4, dating to the Late Chalcolithic period; Strata 3 and 2, to EB IA; and Stratum 1, sub-recent. The Late Chalcolithic remains consisted of a stone surface and an underlying fill, and the EB IA remains included wall segments of three structures: two buildings (Stratum 3) and a wall of a large double-apsed structure (Stratum 2). The technological analysis of the pottery from the site testifies to a transmission from the Late Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age populations in the way of making utilitarian ceramics, indicating continuity of the same population. The …

Front Matter, The Editorial Board

'Atiqot

No abstract provided.

The Library Of Andrew Rippin The Rise Of A QurʾĀnic Philologist, Majid Daneshgar

Asian Review

Andrew Rippin passed away in Victoria, Canada, on 29 November 2016. The current generation of scholars, many of whom began working on Qurʾānic studies within the last decade, have paid a lot of attention to Rippin’s scholarship.  His books and articles have been translated and reviewed in Arabic, Indonesian, Malay, Persian, Turkish and Urdu languages, and are the subject of dissertations and articles throughout the Muslim world. As a contribution to Rippin’s legacy , this communication piece provides an account of the young Rippin and a library collection that he accumulated in the 1970s and 1980s before becoming one of …

40 Years Passing By In (A) “Heartbeat”, Christopher Janney

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

This article outlines the forty-year history go Christopher Janney’s iconic performance work “HeartBeat.” Trained as an architect and jazz musician, Janney combines these two disciplines to create large interactive light/sound installations and performances. On the one hand, he attempts to make architecture more like music, more “alive” using real-time sensing devices as on his “Harmonic Convergence” installation on the Miami International Airport. On the other hand, he attempts to make music more like architecture, more physical more visual. In his “HeartBeat” performance, a dancer wears a heartbeat device that amplifies his/her heartbeat in “real time.” Over this pulse, live musicians …

Yoga Sūtra Book Four And The Yogabindu, Christopher Key Chapple

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

Four themes from the fourth pāda of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra are examined here: karma (IV:2-13), individuality (IV:16), humility (IV:20-22), and freedom (IV:29-34). Affirmations and variant interpretations of these four are provided from Haribhadra Virahāṅka’s Yogabindu, most likely composed a century or two later.

Collective Karma: From The Yogasūtra To Taylor Swift, Zoë Slatoff

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

The Indian knowledge traditions speak at length about karma, which is divided into three categories—accumulated (saṃcita), ripe (prārabdha), and future (kriyamāṇa). While much is said about our individual karma and how it affects our repeated reincarnation in cyclic existence, how does this affect others and how do others affect us? In other words, as this paper explores, what is our reciprocal and collective karma?

Painting Liberation: A Visual Ontology Of The Interplay Of Mind And Consciousness In Book Four Of The Yoga Sūtras, Melissa Townsend

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

This presentation explores how artistic practice can illuminate philosophical questions about the nature of mind, consciousness, and liberation as articulated in Book Four of the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali. Through a series of paintings that visually translate these sūtras, I propose that art offers a unique, experiential means of engaging with the complex relationship between citta (mind) and puruṣa (consciousness).

The paintings function as a form of “visual ontology,” inviting viewers to engage with abstract philosophical concepts in a sensory, tangible way. By depicting the interplay between the mutable processes of the mind and the unchanging awareness of consciousness, these …

Islamic Themes In Us Hip-Hop Culture, Anders Ackfeldt

Music & Performance in Muslim Contexts

Explores how Islam is produced in American hip-hop culture by both Muslims and non-Muslims

Islam has been a part of hip-hop culture since it sprang from New York’s street culture in the 1970s. Today hip-hop has evolved into a global artform with a diversity of Muslim Islamic discourses expressed. Using tools from the field of social semiotics, this book examines how Islamic themes feature in US hip-hop culture, maintaining a particular awareness that both Muslims as well as non-Muslims participate in their production.

Anders Ackfeldt analyses a collection of lyrics, sounds and images to show how Islamic themes are featured …

The Role And Impact Of Forensic Evidence In The Prosecution Of Homicide Cases In The U.S., Afrah Dakhilallah A. Altubait

Theses and Dissertations

The role of forensic evidence in the criminal justice process is an important topic that is significant from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The present study is dedicated to a critical analysis of the role of this evidence in the U.S. criminal justice process with a focus on its significance in homicide cases. Specifically, this dissertation examines the implications of using DNA and fingerprint evidence for convictions in U.S. homicide cases by analyzing the role of DNA and fingerprint evidence in the prosecution of “hot” and “cold” homicide cases, discussing the main ways in which forensic evidence assists with prosecuting …

The Effectiveness Of The Hague Convention In Addressing International Child Abduction, Areej A. Dakelallah Althubiti

Theses and Dissertations

Parental child abduction is a growing concern fueled by immigration, cross-cultural marriages, evolving family dynamics, and gaps in the implementation and enforcement of developed international frameworks. This study examines the effectiveness of and challenges to the enforcement of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (HCCA), which was developed to address this problem. Specifically, the goal of this research is to assess the effect the HCCA has had on parental kidnapping, analyze its effectiveness in resolving international custody disputes, and identify the legal and practical obstacles that inhibit implementation. While the prevalence of parental kidnapping continues …

Language, Categorization, And Control: Examining Exclusion In Refugee Regimes Through The Shift From Muhājir To Lājiʾ, Cormac M. Thorpe

Harvey M. Applebaum ’59 Award

No abstract provided.

Will Malaysia Become An Active Middle Power?, Bruce Gilley

Politics and Global Affairs Faculty Publications and Presentations

Malaysia’s economic growth and democratisation since 2003 have vaulted it into the ranks of the middle powers in the international system. However, Malaysia remains hesitant about its middle power status. It has assumed a counterhegemonic or pro-multipolarity role; it has supported some new international rules and institutions; it leads regional governance institutions; and it advocates for small countries on development issues. However, these middle power behaviours are countered by a continuation of traditional Malaysia diplomacy which is inactive in shaping the emergence of superpower China as well as being disruptive and personalistic, most recently because of its embrace of radicalisms. …

The Return Of War In International Politics, Chick Edmond, Nkenglefack Dessailly Forku

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This article examines the resurgence of war in international politics after the Cold War. It contends that interstate wars have declined after 1990 and there was high optimism for stability and a cooperative international order, but contemporary conflicts have evolved into complex intrastate and asymmetric confrontations involving non-state actors, ethnic and religious divisions, resource competition, and geopolitical rivalries. The paper uses a constructivist approach and secondary qualitative data to identify and explore key drivers of this trend such as the rise of terrorist and insurgent groups, the politicization of identity, disputes over scarce resources, erosion of international norms, and intensifying …

Temporary Marriage In Iraq: Views And Perceptions, Zena Al Safar

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In July 2024, the Shia Muslim Parliament members proposed an amendment to the Personal Status Law. This amendment was passed on February 11, 2025. Per the amendment, the Shia Ja’afari School of Islamic jurisprudence has four months from the time the amendment was passed to submit a Personal Status Code for approval. It is speculated that this new Code will legalize mut’ah marriage, which is a type of temporary marriage. Temporary marriage within Islam is a heterosexual marriage that does not convey long-term commitment and usually has an end date. While scholarly written work in this field exists in other …

Islam, Memory, And Denial: Preserving Bosniak Identity After The Srebrenica Genocide, Alek Barović

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The role of the Bosniak Islamic Community in preserving identity and collective memory of the Srebrenica genocide remains a subject of ongoing debate among Bosniaks in Bosnia, the wider Balkan region, and the diaspora. This paper explores how Bosniaks perceive the Islamic Community’s efforts in shaping and sustaining post-genocide identity through religious, cultural, and educational initiatives. By analyzing narratives from survivors, religious leaders, and community members, this study investigates whether the Islamic Community is seen as a central institution in the preservation of historical memory or as one actor among many in the broader struggle against denial and historical revisionism. …

Topics Of Historical Memory In The Pr Activities Of Religious Organizations In Present-Day Ukraine, Vadym Sluysar, Yuliia Kondratiuk, Iryna Vitiuk, Oleksandr Mosienko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the role of religious organizations in Ukraine in shaping and preserving historical memory in the context of their PR activities. The article examines the contribution of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), Protestant denominations, and Muslim organizations to the popularization of objective historical narratives. Through participation in memorial events, restoration of monuments, organization of scientific conferences, exhibitions, lectures, and publication of historical materials, religious organizations contribute to the formation of national and civic identity. Particular attention is paid to the coverage of tragic events such as the Holodomor, the deportation of Crimean …

Muslim Communities In Post-Communist Bulgaria (Challenges And Perspectives For Communication Between Orthodox Christians And Muslims), Klara Toneva

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The paper explores the challenges and prospects for communication between Orthodox Christians and Muslims in post-communist Bulgaria. After providing a brief overview of the Bulgarian ethnic model, it presents the current situation of Muslim communities in the country. The paper examines the ongoing processes within these communities and the different paths they may take: adherence to tradition, re-Islamization, secularization, or religious radicalization. It outlines the prerequisites and causes that contribute to manifestations of religious radicalization. The integration of Muslim communities into Bulgarian society, the role of religious education, and the presence of a strong spiritual elite are emphasized as key …

China’S Mediation Of The Saudi-Iranian Rapprochement And Its Implications On Regional Peace And Security, Henelito Jr A. Sevilla

Journal of Middle East and Islamic Studies

The Middle East’s geopolitical landscape during the Cold War was characterized by ideological and religious differences among regional powers and their conflicting allegiances to the United States and the Soviet Union. Iran and Saudi Arabia held vast energy reserves and shaped regional divisions along religious and geopolitical lines. These divisions carried over to the post-Cold War era, exposing the Middle East to decades-long crises and proxy warfares. Domestic and regional problems are intensified by the interference of external powers, further deteriorating the prospects of peace and security in the region. Small countries avoid entanglement in big-power rivalries and focus on …

The Development Trend Of Belt And Road Initiative In Egypt, Shuang Wu, Yon Machmudi

Journal of Middle East and Islamic Studies

This article discusses three main points: First, Egypt occupies an undoubted central position in the Arab world. Second, in addition to its great regional influence, Egypt also occupies an important geographical position. Egypt is located on the two continents of Europe and Asia, and the Suez Canal in it is an important energy channel for the Indian Ocean to enter Europe and the Mediterranean. Third, China and Egypt have a history of friendly exchanges. Since the drastic changes in the Middle East in 2011, Egypt's national power has gradually weakened. To achieve economic development and social stability, Egypt urgently needs …

How Halal Certification And Islamic Ethics Tackle Greenwashing: New Solutions For A Sustainable Economy, Muhammad Afif Ryan Pratama

Journal of Middle East and Islamic Studies

This research explores the role of halal certification and Islamic ethics in addressing greenwashing within the financial sector. Greenwashing, the practice of exaggerating environmental responsibility, undermines genuine sustainability efforts and trust among consumers and investors. Islamic finance, based on principles of transparency, social justice, and ethical business practices, provides a robust framework to counter such deceptive practices. The study proposes expanding halal certification to incorporate environmental standards, ensuring that companies demonstrate both ethical and sustainable practices. This integrated approach offers a unique solution to combat greenwashing and aligns with broader sustainability goals. By including sustainability in halal certification, the credibility …

Evaluating Passive And Assertive Secularism: A Comparative Study Of France And Sweden, Odessa Clear

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis seeks to identify the reasoning behind different outcomes of secularism in both France and Sweden in the context of Ahmet Kuru's passive and assertive secularism model. While explaining the historical causes and evolution of secularist thought, it aims to effectively evaluate contrasting approaches to how secularism is applied. To address the current gap in studies intending to assess secularism, this argument identifies how various factors are impacted by secularist-state policies. Through this analysis, it reveals the determinants in secularist approaches and their consequences on religious tensions or tolerance. This assessment of similar European countries experiencing both immigration and …

Addressing The Gap: A Need For A Gender-Based Approach In Indonesia’S Deradicalization Program, Raneeta Mutiara

Journal of Terrorism Studies

An effective deradicalisation program is the key to combating violent extremism and reducing potential harm to society from radical ideologies. A gender-based approach to tackling violent extremism among women has received esteemed recognition from the governments of many countries. Various international organizations and scholarly institutes have also approved the advantages of this method. This work aims to find and address the gap in the current deradicalization program in Indonesia for future development in both academic and practical areas of this subject matter. An integrative literature review is used as a method that involves synthesizing previous research and integrating empirical findings …

Governance Of Religious Affairs In The United Arab Emirates, Ayesha Helal Al Qubaisi

Theses

This study seeks to investigate policies, measures and efforts on religious affairs governance in the UAE, through enacting laws and establishing local religious institutions by uncovering the necessity of the procedures that are in place, the goals of religious governance, how religious affairs are regulated, and the challenges that the government faces in the process. The main objective of this thesis is to provide one possible adoption model for religious regulation. Further, since there are few studies on the topic of religious governance in general, and in the UAE particularly, the researchers synthesized and integrated existing knowledge from diverse sources …

Navigating Big Data Ethics: An Analysis Through Al-Attas's Islamic Worldview, Aldin Julian Azma, Saffana Lam’A Tazkiyah, Muhammad Yahya Abdurrahman

Journal of Middle East and Islamic Studies

The term "Big Data" is used to describe a collection of data that is both vast in scale and highly complex, and which is expected to continue growing in size. The indication of a secular collection, processing, and use of big data makes it imperative to consider big data from a moral responsibility and ethical perspective. This article seeks to integrate Islamic values and principles from the perspective of Syed Naquib Al Attas, with a particular focus on ethics and morals in the context of big data. This research employs a literature review methodology with a descriptive-analytical approach, Al Attas …

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam And The Shifting Balance Of Power In The Horn Of Africa, Muhammad Fauzan Rizki Ramadhan

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

This article briefly explains the correlation between Ethiopia’s ambitious GERD project and the potential shift in power distribution in the region known as the Horn of Africa. The GERD (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) is a hydroelectric dam designed to drive economic growth by harnessing the Nile River as its core. Focusing on a regional-level analysis, this article will examine the relationship between the completion of the project and the shift in power distribution between Egypt as the local status-quo power, and Ethiopia as the regional challenger. Thus, the dramatic transition in regional structure is related to categorizing the Nile River …

Thirst For Power: Exploring The Impact Of The 2023 Israel-Gaza War On The Jordanian Water Crisis, Lucas Geromini

Jordan: Refugees, Health, and Humanitarian Action

This study examines the impact of the 2023 Israel-Gaza War on Jordan’s escalating water crisis, a challenge compounded by rapid population growth, climate change, and regional geopolitics. Jordan, one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, relies heavily on transboundary water-sharing agreements, particularly with Israel. However, the war has intensified tensions between the two countries, disrupting existing agreements and exposing Jordan’s vulnerability to Israel’s hydro-hegemony. Through qualitative research, including interviews with Jordanian experts in water policy, environmental studies, and geopolitics, the study explores three key themes: Israel’s dominance over regional water resources, the domestic and international pressures constraining Jordan’s …

Ethnocratizing The “Holy Land” The Politics Of Sacred Places: A View From Israel-Palestine Nimrod Luz. London, New York And Dublin: Bloomsbury Academic, 2023. Pp. 223., Curtis Hutt

International Dialogue

In this review essay, I will engage with some critical issues raised by Nimrod Luz in his recent book, The Politics of Sacred Places: A View From Israel-Palestine. This is a follow up to earlier articles that I have written for ID: International Dialogue and elsewhere related to holy sites as well as pilgrimage to, from, and within what is commonly known in the Western Christian world for the last one thousand years as the “Holy Land.” 1 It is also a companion piece to a recent review I have written of Marshall J. Breger and Leonard M. Hammer’s landmark …

Exploring Islamic School Teacher Adaptations To Reduce Cultural Mismatch For Muslim Middle Eastern American Students: A Grounded Theory Study, Zenab Eldreny

Theses and Dissertations

Culturally responsive practices are imperative in American classrooms due to the increasing diversity of the student population. These practices prioritize contextualizing materials, building relationships with students, and leveraging students’ cultural experiences and capital to improve their overall experience in the educational process. However, there is little understanding of the intersection between culturally responsive practices and social-emotional learning frameworks, particularly in contexts beyond the traditional public school environment. This qualitative study employs grounded theory to explore how Islamic school teachers adapt the social-emotional learning curricula to accommodate better Middle Eastern American (MMEA) students' cultural values. Focus groups were conducted to augment …

Review Of Islamophobia: What Christians Should Know (And Do) About Anti-Muslim Discrimination, Carl Chudy

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.